Geopolitics in the 2020s.

[welshbairn]

33% turnout in Romanian General Election, no comment about the politics I know nothing about, but a worrying declining faith in democracy to have such a low turnout. 

https://www.euronews.com/2020/12/07/romania-pm-ludovic-orban-resigns-after-narrow-election-defeat-to-left-leaning-populists?fromBreakingNews=1

 

Edited December 7, 2020 by welshbairn

[ICTChris]

lol if this is legit

According to quite a few of the replies that is a Pakistani Army being attacked in Balochistan. Who know though?

[ICTChris]

Iranian state media have claimed that the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was carried out using a remote controlled machine gun that utilised artificial intelligence to kill only Fakhrizadeh. The Fars News agency has claimed this is what happened , stating that the gun fired 13shots into Fakhrizadeh’s car only hitting him and none of the other occupants.

 

Previously reports from Iran said there were dozens of assassins, that a roadside bomb was used, that numerous attackers and bodyguards were killed and that the regime had suspects in custody so its hard to know who to believe. Possible that the Iranian authorities are trying to deflect attention from their failure to protect such an important scientist by emphasising the technological prowess and cunning of the Israelis.

 

[NotThePars]

Iranian state media have claimed that the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was carried out using a remote controlled machine gun that utilised artificial intelligence to kill only Fakhrizadeh. The Fars News agency has claimed this is what happened , stating that the gun fired 13shots into Fakhrizadeh’s car only hitting him and none of the other occupants.
 
Previously reports from Iran said there were dozens of assassins, that a roadside bomb was used, that numerous attackers and bodyguards were killed and that the regime had suspects in custody so its hard to know who to believe. Possible that the Iranian authorities are trying to deflect attention from their failure to protect such an important scientist by emphasising the technological prowess and cunning of the Israelis.
 

I’ve said before but people have said I look a bit like the famous Tsarnaev brother so for safety I’m never leaving the house again

[Anonapersona]

2 hours ago, ICTChris said:

Iranian state media have claimed that the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was carried out using a remote controlled machine gun that utilised artificial intelligence to kill only Fakhrizadeh. The Fars News agency has claimed this is what happened , stating that the gun fired 13shots into Fakhrizadeh’s car only hitting him and none of the other occupants.

 

Previously reports from Iran said there were dozens of assassins, that a roadside bomb was used, that numerous attackers and bodyguards were killed and that the regime had suspects in custody so its hard to know who to believe. Possible that the Iranian authorities are trying to deflect attention from their failure to protect such an important scientist by emphasising the technological prowess and cunning of the Israelis.

 

I'm not sure I buy into that. I just can't see the assassins being sentimental about the other people in the car.

Scary if true though.

[Thistle_do_nicely]

3 hours ago, ICTChris said:

 

According to quite a few of the replies that is a Pakistani Army being attacked in Balochistan. Who know though?

 

wonder if there were also raids on forces in Al-Alexandria and Dumbartistan too

edit: sorry couldnt resist having been up loch lomond way a few times!

Edited December 8, 2020 by Thistle_do_nicely

[Fullerene]

18 hours ago, welshbairn said:

33% turnout in Romanian General Election, no comment about the politics I know nothing about, but a worrying declining faith in democracy to have such a low turnout. 

https://www.euronews.com/2020/12/07/romania-pm-ludovic-orban-resigns-after-narrow-election-defeat-to-left-leaning-populists?fromBreakingNews=1

 

Yes.  That is a third of what it was when Ceaucescu was in power.

[Detournement]

4 hours ago, ICTChris said:

 

According to quite a few of the replies that is a Pakistani Army being attacked in Balochistan. Who know though?

 

It's clearly not America as the would have started firing. 

[LongTimeLurker]

On 07/12/2020 at 18:12, Henderson to deliver ..... said:

 

That will go down well with people called Caoimhìn.

[ICTChris]

Yes.  That is a third of what it was when Ceaucescu was in power.

Ceaucescu and his wife’s executions were shown on television on Christmas Day in Romania. Better than Mrs Browns Boys IMO.

[welshbairn]

1 minute ago, ICTChris said:

 

Ceaucescu and his wife’s executions were shown on television on Christmas Day in Romania. Better than Mrs Browns Boys IMO.

 

I remember seeing most of it live on telly over here. Just remember a chaotic court scene and him and his wife getting dragged out to be shot in the yard. Can't remember if they showed the actual execution, and it may not have been live but I think it was. 

[ICTChris]

I’ve been reading a bit about the conflict in Ethiopia, where the central government has launched a military offensive against the TPLF, who have dominated the government since 1991. The Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has tried to sweep out the old guard of the country since coming to power but is now engaged in what appears to be a civil war. The UN allegedly came under fire from government troops this week as well.

It’s very difficult to get clear statements about what’s happening but it seems that the central government have succeeded in nominally capturing a lot of territory and have taken the Tigrayan capital. This region is very mountainous though and ripe for an insurgency, with TOLF leaders vowing to fight on from the hills. It was the TPLF who lead the war against the Derg, who they defeated in 1991, they are a militarily capable force. Ethiopia is a country prone to ethnic violence and clashes, Abiy Ahmed appears to be trying to strengthen central control but could in the process cause significant conflict.

[welshbairn]

4 minutes ago, ICTChris said:

I’ve been reading a bit about the conflict in Ethiopia, where the central government has launched a military offensive against the TPLF, who have dominated the government since 1991. The Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has tried to sweep out the old guard of the country since coming to power but is now engaged in what appears to be a civil war. The UN allegedly came under fire from government troops this week as well.

It’s very difficult to get clear statements about what’s happening but it seems that the central government have succeeded in nominally capturing a lot of territory and have taken the Tigrayan capital. This region is very mountainous though and ripe for an insurgency, with TOLF leaders vowing to fight on from the hills. It was the TPLF who lead the war against the Derg, who they defeated in 1991, they are a militarily capable force. Ethiopia is a country prone to ethnic violence and clashes, Abiy Ahmed appears to be trying to strengthen central control but could in the process cause significant conflict.

I've get the impression that the Tigrayans are trying to drag the Eritreans into it to make it an international thing and force the UN and AU to get involved.

Edited December 9, 2020 by welshbairn

[ICTChris]

I've get the impression that the Tigrayans are trying to drag the Eritreans into it to make it an international thing and force the UN and AU to get involved.

They’ve claimed the Eritreans have been assisting Ethiopian Government forces. Abiy Ahmed won the Nobel peace prize for formally ending the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea last year.

[welshbairn]

11 minutes ago, ICTChris said:

 

They’ve claimed the Eritreans have been assisting Ethiopian Government forces. Abiy Ahmed won the Nobel peace prize for formally ending the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea last year.

 

 I read Towards Asmara by Thomas Keneally before Eritrea won their independence, which paints a picture of an impossibly noble and heroic resistance trying to create Utopia against impossible odds. It's a crying shame the way it turned out.  

Edited December 9, 2020 by welshbairn

[Detournement]

On the same week that Italy charges 5 Egyptian intelligence officers with murdering that Grad student.

[welshbairn]

Anyone who's fighting political Islam is a friend of Macron it seems, even if the Islamisists in question are peaceful, like the Muslim Brotherhood were in Egypt, and the person in question is a murderous dictator who even has football fans murdered if they boo him.

Edited December 10, 2020 by welshbairn

[topcat(The most tip top)]

They’ve claimed the Eritreans have been assisting Ethiopian Government forces. Abiy Ahmed won the Nobel peace prize for formally ending the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea last year.

Sometimes the Nobel peace prize is like being manager of the month

[Sherrif John Bunnell]

1 minute ago, topcat(The most tip top) said:

 

Sometimes the Nobel peace prize is like being manager of the month

Getting the Nobel Peace Prize almost always results in a despicable future heel turn for the recipient. I dread to think what horrors Malala and the World Food Programme intend on inflicting on the planet.

[pittsburgh phil]

GTA: Middle East looks good.

It's like a poster for a mid 70's disaster movie starring George Kennedy.